Upcoming LGF Films...
Well, I certainly don't want to become the "primary poster" on this thread -- but in the absence of anybody else's comments, guess I might as well offer some additional information I've come across about LGF-related films set for release in the coming months.
By way of "full disclosure." by the way (or partial disclosure, at least), I HAVE now taken a moderate position in this stock -- and it's actually becoming the only stock to which I'm developing a bit of an "emotional attachment," I know full-well that this is NOT a good rationale for investing -- but I'm giving myself the luxury of doing it in this case. Once again, though, I don't pretend to know yet whether it's a GOOD investment -- so decide for yourself...
Anyway: My local newspaper ran its "1999 Movie Preview" issue this week, listing all the films now scheduled for release this year (and indicating their studios/production companies/distributors).
There are at least NINE films on that list involving LGF -- eight of them are actually being released under the Lions Gate name, while another is a "Mandalay Entertainment" co-production (Mandalay being a division within LGF). I imagine it's a safe bet that LGF will also be involved in some way in a number of OTHER films coming out this year (through Mandalay, or otherwise), but I haven't been able to identify them yet. I also can't tell yet which of the films being released under the Lions Gate name are actually being PRODUCED by LGF, and which ones it may only be DISTRIBUTING.
That said, here's a quick rundown of the LGF films I know about -- listed by planned release date (NOTE that all of these are apparently ALREADY-COMPLETED, not just in the planning-stages):
1) "Gloria" -- being released nationwide TOMORROW (Friday, Jan. 22). This is the one that's a Mandalay co-production, in cooperation with Columbia Pictures -- and in fact Mandalay seems to be the "main player," since the print ads say "Mandalay Entertainment Presents...". Having seen the "trailers" already, I personally expect this to be a BIG hit (I'll frankly be surprised if it doesn't rank very high on this weekend's box-office scorecard). Starring Sharon Stone and directed by Sydney Lumet, it's a remake of a low-budget 1980 film by the late John Cassavetes that starred his wife Gena Rowlands. It's the story of a hard-bitten mob-moll (Stone) who takes an orphaned boy under her wing as they both go "on the run."
2) "Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane" -- A Lions Gate film, scheduled for release "soon." Described as the story of couple of desperate used-car-lot owners who agree to stash a vehicle that ends up being more trouble than they bargained for. Sounds like a black comedy, but hard to tell from synopsis.
3) "The Empty Mirror" -- a Lions Gate film, due for release "soon." A "speculation" on what might've happened to Hitler if he'd survived the war and gone into hiding. Sounds like a fairly "heavy' psychological study, in the "artsy" mode.
4) "Friends and Lovers" -- a Lions Gate film, set for release in the spring. A romantic comedy with an ensemble cast that includes Stephen Baldwin, Claudia Schiffer, Robert Downey Jr., and Alison Eastwood,
5) "Metroland" -- a Lions Gate film, set for release in the spring. Described as the story of a relationship between two lifelong friends against the backdrop of the British "punk-rock" scene, with one questioning his choice to pursue a quiet domestic life.
6) "Last Night" -- a Lions gate film, set for release in the spring. Looks at how a small group of people in Toronto face the knowledge that the world will end at midnight (what would YOU do?...).
7) "The Red Violin" -- a Lions Gate film, set for release in the summer. Sounds like a classic "artsy" film, showing how a finely-crafted violin affects the lives of a variety of people who come into contact with it around the world. With an original score performed by the London Philharmonic.
8) "All the Little Animals" -- a Lions Gate film, release date to-be-announced. A coming-of-age story about an orphaned boy who flees into the English countryside to escape his stepfather. Stars Christian Bale (from "Empire of the Sun") as the boy, and John Hurt as a man he encounters on his travels.
9) "The Dinner Game" -- a Lions gate film, release date to-be-announced. A bunch of "yuppie"-types have a regular routine of each one trying to invite the "dullest, dimmest guest possible" to their group dinners -- but one guest proves to be more than they they can handle. Sounds like a social/psychological study, can't tell if it's got a comic or dark tone.
If I learn of any other planned releases, or find out any more information about these, I'll post it later...
Vagabond
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